Billfold



' H. S. COX

BILLFOLD Oct. 6, 1953 Filed June 11, 1951 INVENTOR. flcz/"Zarz 5 C513,

I I'll II II III l llIllW lllllll Ill Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved billfold and moreparticularly to a holder for paper money especially designed for freeaccess to the bills contained therein.

Usual types of billfolds contain pockets for holding bills, thesepockets being open only along one side. With such containers it isdifilcult to distinguish th denomination of a bill without at leastpartially withdrawing the bill from the pocket. Also in many cases suchbillfclds are not adapted to receive and hold large numbers of bills. Itis difficult to put many bills in the long pocket closed at one side andboth ends. Also, when folded once across the middle as is cus-= tomary,the container becomes bulky and distorted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedbillfold especially designed for the holding of paper money.

It is a further object to provide a construction which holds the billsadequately while permitting their ready inspection and removal asdesired.

It is also an object to provide a construction which is simple in designand manufacture and which may be provided with additional pockets forholding cards or th like.

It is another object to provide a construction which may be formed froma blank cut from a single sheet of material and fabricated by means of aminimum of stitching or other securing means.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a complete billfold inopen position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, thefasteners being omitted;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a blank used for forming the 'billfold ofFigures 1 to 3 inclusive; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing a modified form of holdinglug.

In the drawings, referring first to Figure 4 the billfold may be formedfrom a single flat blank, as shown, having a body portion ll integrallyconnected at one end along fold line 13 to an outer pocket portion [5which is in turn connected along a side fold line H to an inner pocketportion [9. It will be noted that the outer edges 2| and 23 of thepocket portions [5 and I9 join in a rounded projection 25 in line withthe fold line H. The body portion II is provided with a snap fastenermember 21 adapted to mate with another fastener member ZQ on the outerpocket portion 15 when the billfold is assembled and. is folded to beplaced in the pocket. It will be understood that other usual securingmeans may be substituted for the snap fastener if desired.

In assembling the billfold the inner pocket member 19 is first foldedover on outer pocket member [5, being folded on line H, with edge 3! ofmember l9 overlying edge 33 of member it. It is to be noted that edge 35of member ii! is offset below fold line l3 between body member H andouter pocket member [5. This allows space for the next folding operationwhich is made on line it and brings member 19 in contact with member H.In this position the edges 3i and 33 overlie that portion of the edge 31of the body member adjacent the fold line I3.

With the parts in position after this second folding operation, a singlestitching operation will secure together edges 31 and 33 and theadjacent portion of edge 31. Instead of stitching, any well known methodof securing edges of the material used may be carried out. It will beUnderstood that the billfold may be formed of fabric, leather,

, plastic or from any suitable sheet material having sufficient bodywhile also having sufiicient fiexi bility and resistance to wear.

With the billfold assembled and with the edges secured, as described, apocket for cards, indicated by broken lines at 39 in Figure 1, isprovided between the inner pocket portion 69 and the outer pocketportion 55. The bottom of this pocket is closed by fold line i3. A moneypocket for paper money is provided between the inner pocket portion isand the body portion ll. This pocket is proportioned so as to besubstantially wider than the standard paper money and of a lengthsomewhat more than one half the length of paper money. The money pocketis closed at its left end, as seen in Figure 2, by the fold on line l3and on its lower edge by the stitching or other securing means.

The projection 25 on the fold line ll when folded provides a stiff lugwhich extends beyond edge 2|. This assists in holding the bills in placein the billfold. It will be noted that the width of the billfold isWider than standard paper money, indicated at M in broken lines onFigure 1, so that the lug 25 will be effective even when the billfoldcontains a substantial thickness of bills.

In Figure 5 an alternate construction has been shown for providing aseparate holding lug instead of the folded projection 2'5 made of thematerial of the billfold. The adjacent folded portion of the billfoldhas been indicated in Fi ure at 43 and the holding lug is shown at 45.This lug, as shown, may be formed of metal, hard plastic or othersuitable material and attached as a separate element to the folded innerand outer pocket portions at their edge, as shown in the drawing. Itfunctions in the same manner as the holding lug 25 shown in Figure 1.

While I have shownand described a preferred embodiment of my inventionthis is to be understood to be illustrative only as it is capable ofvariation to meet differing conditions and requirements and Icontemplate such modifications member wider and longer than the bills tobe carried, a pocket member integrally connected to one end of the bodymember, said pocket member being less than half the length of the bodymember and of substantially the same width as the body member and foldedover on the body member, one free side edge of the pocket member beingsecured to the adjacent edge portion of the body member, and a billholding 111g eX- tending from the free corner of the pocket memberlengthwise of the body member.

2. A billfold formed of a unitary blank of flexible material, saidbillfoldcomprising a body member wider and longer than the bills to becarried, an outer pocket portion less than one half the length of thebody member and substantially the width of the body member integrallyconnected to one end of the body member, an inner pocket portionintegrally connected to a side edge of the outer pocket portion, theinner pocket portion being folded over onto the inner face of the outerpocket portion, the combined pocket portions being folded over on theinner face of the body member, and the free side edges of the pocketmembers being secured to the adjacent edge portion of the body member.

3. A billfold formed of a unitary blank of flexible material, saidbillfold comprising a body member wider and longer than the bills to becarried, an outer pocket portion less than one half the length of thebody member and substantially the width of the body member integrallyconnected to one end of the body member, an inner pocket portionintegrally connected to a side edge of the outer pocket portion, theinner pocket portion being folded over onto the inner face of the outerpocket portion; the combined pocket portions being folded over on theinner face of the body member, and the free side edges of the pocketmembers being secured to the adjacent edge portion of the body member, abill holding lug extendin lengthwise of the body memher from the innerend of the folded edges of the inner-and outer pocket member, andcooperating securing means on the body member and outer pocket member tohold-,the parts detachably in folded position.

4. In a billfold, a body member wider and longer than the bills to becarried and a pocket member attached to one end of the body member, thepocket member being substantially the same Width and less than one halfthe length of the body member, the pocket member being folded overagainst the body member andsecured to a; portion of one side of the bodymember, the free corner of the pocket member being provided with a billholding lug projecting longitudinally of the body member.

HARLLAN s. cox.

References Cited in the file of this patent- UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 1,146,524 Rolfs July 13, 1915 1,165,746 Borg Dec. 28,1915 1,228,251 Smith May 29, 191 7 1,772,891 Gardner Aug. 12, 19302,288,704 Herbener July 7, 1942 2,387,490 Becker Oct. 23; 1945 2,397,366Ogden Mar. 26, 1946

